31.7.12

As I mentioned a few posts ago, the pre-loved and vintage sale I went to recently was seriously packed with goodies. Too many to justify buying for Josephine, yet lots that were just too good to let go. So I had a think, decided to buy them up anyway and thought I'd pass them on to you, lovely readers.

Ben and I had discussed my rather lucky knack of finding really good secondhand and vintage kid's clothes in charity shops and markets and how maybe it could be an interesting way to make some extra cash and keep me from heading back to work full time. Which is something I don't want to do - but that's for another post.

So, for now, Happy Circus has avintage section. I'm not sure how long it will be there, I suppose it all depends on how quickly this initial haul goes, so head over quick and don't miss out. Sizes range from newborn to age three (ish). It's all vintage, it's lovely and there are quite a few items I'm finding hard to part with. I've kept prices nice and low, so you can grab yourself a bargain, and each item has been freshly laundered and will be posted within two days of purchase.

Plus to celebrate this little launch I'm offering 15% until 9pm tomorrow evening. Just as a little something extra for you! So pop over and enter HAPPYCIRCUSVINTAGE at the checkout.

Let me know what you think, email me if you have any questions and I hope you find something you just can't resist ;)

30.7.12

Captures from our very lazy Monday...1. The glorious morning light streaming through our living room windows. And a happy little Josephine in her new highchair2. Pretty blooms from the garden3. Old Stripey 4. Freshly organised shelves 5. Imagining how lovely it would be for our vintage wedding cake topper to sit upon our little girl's wedding cake one day6. Bouncing in her almost too small bouncer watching Mama eat left over homemade banoffee pie, courtesy of my mother in law. Too bad Phiney, no sweet things for you. You're sweet enough.

26.7.12

Way back when I had a big ol' belly, and didn't know if it was home to a boy or girl, I remember seeing this beautiful girl sporting some of the sweetest shoes I'd ever seen. I knew that if we were to have a girl, purchasing a pair would be a no-brainer.

When Phiney decided all she wanted to do was stand a few weeks ago, and it became clear that some little shoes to steady her wobbles were a good idea, I knew All About Heidi was the place to go. Soon after Josephine received a parcel from the ever so kind and lovely Manuka. One pair in cherry and one in olive, Phiney has been wearing these divine shoes every day since.

Crafted from one piece of the softest leather, these beautiful creations have been getting compliments wherever we go. Available in velcro, lacesormary-janes, the unique and adjustable flower petal design not only looks sweet but ensures a bespoke fit for every foot from 3 to 18 months. And don't get me started on the choice of colours. Honey, olive, cherry, plum and blueberry are all delicious, while gold and silver offer something extra special. There are even organic vegetable dyed leathers available in sumptious pumpkin and apple. Your head will be spinning trying to decide which to order.

Not only did Manuka send these lovely treats for Josephine, but she's also offering one lucky reader the chance to own a pair. That's right, you can get your hands on some of these beautiful shoes for your little one. Just head to All About Heidi on Facebook and like their page, then head back here, become a follower (if you're not already) and let me know the colour, style and size you'd like to win.

I'll draw the winner next Thursday at 8pm and the competition is open to all readers wherever you are in the world, so get entering! And thank you again lovely Manuka xx

UPDATE: The winner is the lovely Ashley. Congratulations lady :) Email me your address and I'll forward the details on to the girls at All About Heidi. Thanks for entering everyone.

25.7.12

Because, let's face it,one vintage tropical fish romperjust isn't enough...Apologies for the slew of 'baby in the garden' photos, but this is how we're spending our days right now. And personally, I don't think there are ever enough pictures of this gorgeous creature!

24.7.12

Today Ben managed to wrangle a day off work so we could continue to enjoy the sunshine together, and enjoy it we did. We invited a few lovely friends round for a little picnic and the afternoon flew by all too quickly, helped along by some seriously yummy food (which Josephine tried to steal off her little buddies!).

Plus Phiney got to show off her awesome romper and I got to show off my new hair. A jolly old day was had by all, if only Ben was able to take the rest of the week off so we could carry on the party.

23.7.12

After popping to a local carboot sale and picking up some very cheap and very lovely plants in the morning, we spent the afternoon lounging in the garden in the sunshine. Just us three, soaking in the warmth of the sun. Playing and laughing and wishing the weekend was one day longer.

You'll have to excuse Josephine's rather bogey nose. The girl's been coping rather admirably with a rather stinky cold. Thankfully the sleepless nights appear to have passed and she's getting over it. Although I woke up this morning with a sniffle....

19.7.12

Over the last couple of weeks we've been enjoying a little bit of girly retail therapy round these parts.

Now Phiney is 6 months old she has, over night it seems, grown out of nearly everything. Luckily there are a few thrifty finds stored away that I've loved rediscovering, and a visit to this shopas well as the H&M sale has replenished her drawers. Plus my Nan has also taken the fabric I bought months ago and transformed it into a awesome collection of bloomers, with a couple more pairs still to come.

On top of all that, my lovely friend Amytext me on Saturday morning urging me to head into town toa sale she'd heard about.Offering pre-loved and vintage French kids clothes and antiques, I rushed to the car and scored some real treats for Phiney; some for now, some for the coming months and years. The very wonderful lady who ran the sale plans on holding them a few times a year, so I can't wait for the next one and the treasures we'll find. Plus I got my hands on a few extra bits and bobs that I'll be telling you more about soon, so tune in for that little announcement.

As for Mama, last week I shifted those last few pesky pregnancy pounds. Hoorah! I'm ready to ditch the joggers (well, in the majority) and have been scouring the shops for the 1950s style skirts that I love and complement the return of my waist. Thank you local markets and charity shops. I've been having a trying on session or two trying to decide what to wear for our visit from this ladyon Saturday, but I'm changing my mind every five minutes. Thankfully it looks like we're about to get some sunshine. Fingers crossed!

ps. I've drawn the winner of the Hello Canvas print and I'm really happy to announce that the lovely Mama-to-be Jenny is the winner. Go check out her very sweet blog and watch her belly grow. Congratulations Jenny - pop me an email and I'll send you all the details of how to claim your prize. Thank you to everyone for entering. We have another amazing giveaway next week so watch this space...

17.7.12

Tomorrow Josephine turns six months old. Half a year already. It's been a crazy month in terms of development for our teeny Phiney bird. Teeth, sitting by herself (kinda), food, food and more food and sleeping through the night (kinda).

Likes: Food, kisses, being in Mama and Papa's bed, jumping and standing and making really really big splashes in the bath. Also the random old ladies who say hello to her when we're in the village, dancing, music, saying "Dadada", seeing other babies and children and, oh yeah, more food. Dislikes: Waiting for food and watching other people eat when she's not; rolling on to her front and getting stuck (frustrating for all involved at 3.30am); her teeth coming through, being in her pram when the rain-cover's on for too long and the fact that she can't crawl or walk already. She's very impatient and determined. What makes her smile more than anything: Chattering your teeth together in front of her and saying 'boo' to her very loudly and making her jump. She also things it's pretty funny when she sneezes, when her dolls and teddies 'talk' to her and being tickled. Favourite toys: Her dolly, imaginatively named Dolly,Old Stripeyand her baby gym. She's just started to think that mobile phones and remote controls are also play things. They're not, and she gets very annoyed about that. Mama's favourite thing: That she reaches out to me when she wants some Mama-time; even if she's been with just me all day, she still thinks I'm pretty cool. And watching her with Ben. The love they have for each other floors me and makes my heart the happiest it's ever been. Papa's favourite thing: When I (Ben) get her up in the morning and she whispers "Dadada" to me and her absolute love for food. Career Prediction: Adventurer. The girl's a thrill seeker and wants to explore everything and everywhere. When she figures out how to move around properly, they'll be no stopping her. Watch your back Bear Grylls.

ps. tomorrow is the last day of the giveaway so make sure you go enter here.

11.7.12

I've saidbeforehow much Ben and I love and cherish our photographs. Our walls are plastered with them and I always have a 'to be printed' folder on our desktop. As you can imagine, since the arrival of a certain little bird the number of pictures in this folder has increased dramatically and is added to almost every day. My 32GB memory card is actually full right now. How is that possible?!

But you know what, we don't actually have any pictures up in our home of our darling Phiney yet. Uploading 100's of pictures to a photo printing website simply takes too long, and how on earth are we meant to choose which to frame? I have a feeling that after our session with this pretty lady next weekend that will be a question even harder to answer.

Recently I was contacted by a great company called Hello Canvas.The largest photo on canvas website in the UK, Hello Canvas prides itself on beautifully reproducing your favourite pictures and most cherished memories to the highest quality and for really great prices. We know, they sent us this amazing canvas to hang in our home and it's really lovely. Printed using the latest techniques, on 100% cotton and bound round a sturdy, 1.2 inch deep wooden frame each canvas is carefully sent in a custom-made packing box to protect your purchase. The lovely team is always there to help if you have any questions and we couldn't fault the excellent service we received.

Of course, I'd hate for you lovely people to miss out on all this photo-goodness so not only are Hello Canvas offering everyone a very lovely 10% off every purchase using the discount code 'firstdayofmarriage', but they're also giving one lucky reader the opportunity to win a fantastic 20x28 inch canvas print worth nearly £40. This is a giveaway open to international readers too, so if you've got a photograph that's screaming to get up on your wall get entering!

All you need to do is become a follower of the blog, if you're not already, and leave a comment below. If you're the lucky winner just email me a high res JPEG of the picture you'd love printed and I'll forward it to the team at Hello Canvas. Then quick as a jiffy you'll get your print in the post. Simple.

Good luck and I'll be announcing the winner next Wednesday, the 18th July.

9.7.12

Matching family outfits? I'm up for that. Josephine's first pair of Connies bought at a second hand childrens's clothes sale a couple of months ago for the grand sum of £4. They may not fit for a year or two yet, but polka dots and ladybirds are worth the wait.

ps. another unexpected blogging break. Just didn't feel in the zone last week, but I think I'm back now. Tune in later this week for the first of some really good giveaways....

2.7.12

I have been on a clearing/sorting mission over the last few days. Clutter, be gone! This morning there were four bags lined up for the charity shop (as in those huge blue Ikea bags). After a trip to the village there are now two, but stacks of books and a whole pile of clothes for Ben to sort through are sitting next to them. I am a woman obsessed, and I love it.

In the midst of all this cleaning and clearing I have had an epiphany. I think I know where I'm going wrong. I seem to have a 'thing' for having all the pretty things we own (especially pretty kitchen things) on display. I'm not entirely sure where this comes from. Maybemy Grandma and her beautiful house?Well, for a clutter-free home, some of these pieces will now be found behind cupboard doors instead. Then admired properly when they're bought out at meals or gatherings. Perhaps in the grand scheme of things this is rather a lame epiphany. In the world of sorting out our home however, I feel it's a biggy.

And the top, you may be asking? I find the only trouble with taking things to the charity shop is the too-hard-to-resist temptation to look around. And then to buy things. A wispy piece of chiffon hardly takes up any room and I deserve a I-have-actually-done-some-tidying-for-once treat. That's my reasoning and I'm sticking to it.

HELLO, I'm Nell and this is my journal. Documenting magical days with my husband Ben and our daughters, Josephine and Coralie; recording the adventures we have together. Life is always beautiful with these three.